Thursday, September 27, 2012

Yesterday was National Pancake Day, so what better to serve my family for dinner than their favorite meal - pancakes and sausage! Since it was feeling and looking a whole lot like fall outside, I decided to switch up my pancake recipe a bit and use my mom's wonderful homemade apple butter. OH YUM!!! They were a HUGE hit! I use the same basic pancake recipe, but change it up depending on what the kids or Steve (or I am) are hungry for. Sometimes I use plain applesauce in place of the apple butter, and use cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg; often I use pumpkin, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger. The kids love mashed banana with a bit of ginger, and a handful of toasted pecans tossed in. Another favorite is plain applesauce with blueberries and a pinch of ginger and nutmeg (You can't taste the plain applesauce, and I prefer it to using over 1/2 cup of oil). Before discovering Mandie's chocolate allergy, we'd make pumpkin pancakes and toss in a cup of Enjoy Life chocolate chips. And no, the kids can't decide which kind are their favorites! They always beg for leftovers in their lunch the next day, complete with pure maple syrup (or Grandma's peach syrup) to dip them in, which is why I make a large batch. These freeze very well, and reheat nicely in the microwave or toaster.

Combine all ingredients - I use my hands and squish them together. Using about a 1 Tbsp. measure, form sausage into balls and flatten slightly. We cook ours on our George Foreman grill, for 3-4 minutes. You can also cook them 3-5 minutes per side, in a skillet coated with about 1 Tbsp. of grapeseed oil.

Monday, September 24, 2012

My team will be walking in the FAAN Walk for Food Allergy on Sunday, September 30th, in Chicago, in Lincoln Park. Please consider making a donation to help fund research for a cure for food allergies! Our team is Amanda's Allergy Annihilators. This link will take you to our team page. I will post pictures and updated during and after the walk.Thank you, Jen and family

Thursday, September 20, 2012

This cake is my hands down fall favorite, and I often choose it for my October birthday - even over chocolate!! Steve's birthday was Monday, and we got to celebrate with the kids Tuesday night. I am not surprised that this is what he chose for his cake. This cake is very moist and dense and is a fanatastic spice type of cake. I love pumpkin in absolutely anything, and this is no exception. The frosting recipe is amazingly simple - even after making Powdered Sugar in my Magic Bullet! The maple is an amazing compliment for the pumpkin in the cake. I'm sure it will become as requested in your house as it is in mine!

2.Add oil
and flax goo, and mix for one
minute.Add sugars and beat another
couple of minutes.Add in pumpkin and
flour mixture.Stir in cranberries and
pecans.Pour into greased pans.

3.Bake rectangular pan for 47-55 minutes, and
rounds 38-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
and center feels firm.Cool on a wire
rack.When cool, sprinkle with powdered
sugar or frost with Maple Frosting.

** May use 3 whole eggs instead of flax, or
the equivalent of egg replacer

***Whole wheat or all purpose flours may be
substituted for gluten free flours.

Maple Frosting

3 Tbsp. lard*

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/8 cup maple syrup**

Combine all ingredients in your mixer (I use my Kitchenaid) and whip until it reaches spreading consistency. Sometimes I have to add 1/8 cup of additional maple syrup.

Monday, September 10, 2012

I made these muffins as a combination of a few recipes, which of course I further modified to suit our family. I sent a weeks worth to school with Mandie for her snack, and she LOVED them. I made a huge batch to take to the air show with us last weekend. After the energy bites were gone, these were the next thing we all ate. I wouldn't have even needed to make sandwiches. They are really yummy and really really healthy.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

I decided to make Energy Bites to take with us yesterday when we went to the air show in Waukegan. Of course I had to modify recipes, and I found out that I didn't have any safe carob chips (see previous post) so I did what any good allergy mama does. I improvised and reworked and came up with two yummy recipes for energy bites - one for Mandie, and one for the rest of us. Both are gluten, dairy, corn, and soy free, Mandie's are of course free of palm, coconut, chocolate, almonds, peanuts, oats, honey, sunflower, etc. Needless to say, they were a HUGE hit! I do think that the next time I do the regular ones I may decrease the oats by 1/4 -1/2 cup to add shredded coconut.

Friday, September 7, 2012

This loaf of bread looks like I have felt all day. I am feeling completely and totally overwhelmed, to the point of tears in fact. It was a silly thing that started it - a couple of loaves of bread that somehow fell in the oven --- for the second day in a row. Gluten free bread is so picky!!!! (Well, any gluten free baking, to be honest.) I really and truly do not know what happened, but when I pulled them out of the oven, they looked like the above photo. At least the ends of both loaves are able to be cut and used for sandwiches. The rest will be frozen in a gallon freezer bag for use as stuffing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still - why didn't it turn out when it I did the same thing I always do to get beautiful bread???

The bread is not all that has me overwhelmed today. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day at the Waukegan Air Show, which will be totally incredible, but packing food for 5 people for an 8-10 hour day, plus wipes, safe hand soap, sunblock, clothes, drinks, .... etc. I also have to make sure everyone has enough medication along, and of course bring the bottle of Benadryl. My plan is to fill the family up with pumpkin oatmeal (pumpkin cream of rice for Mandie) before we leave the house, then bring my Super Power Muffins, Energy Bites (a batch for Mandie, and a batch for the rest of us) {recipes for both will follow}, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches for the boys, Steve, and I and Cashew Butter & Jelly sandwiches for Mandie, apples, and bananas. This means that tonight after work and dinner and homework (yes, on a Friday night!) I will make Energy Bites. Luckily my muffins are made and thawed! Before I leave tomorrow, I'll toss a roast in the crockpot with fresh rosemary, potatoes, carrots, onions, and mushrooms, so we can have dinner ready when we get back.

Also overwhelming me is the construction going on in our home - not only because of the noise and mess and having everything displaced, but also because we have hit the painting stage, which MUST be done in the next few days so that the work can continue. Of course, Mandie's airborne latex allergy and my asthma and chemical sensitivity make this extremely complicated. The only primer we have found that is safe is by PURE, and of course contains latex. It has no VOC's and low/no odor, so it only gives me a mild headache. The paint, Dutch Boy's No VOC and no/low odor paint is also latex paint - which is how we figured out that Mandie's latex allergy had gone airborne when we were painting Steve's office last fall and she went down to see what he was doing and started reacting. (She started turning red, got a dry, barky cough, and told Steve she itched all over and could not walk up the stairs, but needed Benadryl). So, the kids' dad will meet up with us after church on Sunday, and take them for an extra afternoon and night so we can get our painting done on schedule. It kills me to give up any time at all with them, but it is the only safe thing we can do. As much as I know they are safe with their dad, being a mom and especially an allergy mom, I can't help but worry about them when they are not with me. It is tough, the need to have them out of the house to protect them, but wanting them with me all the same. A few minutes ago I went to make the Energy Bites, and was going to use carob chips in Mandie's in place of the chocolate chips. No problem, as I had a new bag in the fridge. After I cut them open I again read the label - and saw palm kernel oil. Sigh..... These were from Barry Farms. I hope to find a safe brand, but fear I will be making my own soon. I know the Sunspire brand are not Mandie-safe. And yes, I shed a few tears on Steve's wonderful shoulder, then started laughing like a mad woman. Then I got busy and made Mandie's using carob powder instead of chips. I will post the recipes tomorrow night or Sunday. Now it is time for bed so we can get up and make lunches to take to the airshow tomorrow! I am sure I will feel more positive in the morning.

This morning my kids were up very early with the storm that literally shook our house, so I decided to whip them up a wonderful, quick breakfast. I used inspiration from a recipe a friend sent me, and what I had in my freezer. I tossed 1/2 bag of frozen peaches, 2 cups of frozen blueberries, 2 cups of pomegranate juice, and about 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened hemp milk, 1 very ripe avocado, and 1 heaping Tbsp of Chia Seeds into my Ninja and blended until thick and creamy. What a wonderful way to start our day!

And yes, I took the picture of my mug on the dash of the van as Steve and I were headed to our busses! ;-)

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Since we did not have the kids this weekend, I wanted to play with a new recipe and modify it to suit my own allergies. I was totally in the mood for ooey gooey chocolate, and Steve has been big-time craving Reeces Peanut Butter Cups - so as I always do, I modified recipes and made some. I'm sure if I wanted I could put these in layers in little mini muffin tins with liners to look more like the "real thing" - but I didn't have time or energy late last night, and I honestly think that this way is absolutely perfect! Steve's verdict - far better than Reeces! :D That right there is the reward. That and watching my cousin Robin close her eyes and smile as she ate them. She and her girls happened to agree with Steve. So, when the mood hits, these are pretty easy to make! I may have to experiment with carob chips and homemade cashew butter so that Mandie can also enjoy these - just as soon as I get a safe graham cracker figured out for her! ;)

Put S'MOREABLES into a food processor. Pulse into fine crumbs.
Combine Earth Balance spread, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and crumbs
together in a large bow. A wooden spoon sprayed with cooking spray works
well for this step. Using a plastic spoon, scoop out a spoonful and roll
into 1" balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
and put in the freezer for 20 minutes. While peanut butter balls are
freezing, put lard and chocolate in the top of a double boiler, set over medium
heat. Using same sprayed spoon, stir until chocolate is melted, then turn
heat to low to keep warm. Take peanut butter balls out of freezer and
drop one by one into warm chocolate. I found using a toothpick to remove
them back to the parchment lined sheet works the easiest with the least
mess. Let set up over night on the baking sheet.
Makes 6-7 dozen.

About Me

I am married to my best friend/soulmate - Steve, mama to Truman (1/03), Hunter (6/05), and Mandie (3/07). I am an 'allergy mama' - managing and writing about life with Mandie's severe food, medication, and environmental allergies. This blog is a way to share what is important to my family and how we live, eat, and have fun with multiple allergies and asthma.
You can also follow my Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/AllergyLane